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PRESS RELEASE: NWLC Leads Coalition Urging Congress to Allocate $100 Million for Child Care in Disaster Relief Package
Washington, DC – The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), in partnership with 165 state and national organizations, is calling on congressional leaders to include at least $100 million for early care and education in the upcoming disaster relief package. Reports from disaster-affected states, including North Carolina and Florida, highlight the urgent financial challenges facing the child care sector.
Specifically, the coalition is urging Congress to include at least $100 million through the proven Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program. The appeal comes as the Senate Appropriations Committee convened today to address disaster relief funding needs.
Read the coalition’s full letter here.
The Biden administration’s supplemental disaster aid request to Congress includes meaningful funding for Head Start programs, but lacks a dedicated request for CCDBG funding. Yet, as the letter highlights, the CCDBG program is the most effective mechanism for delivering emergency funding to child care providers, as demonstrated during the implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act. Distributing these funds through a program other than CCDBG could lead to a disruptive delay in delivering a critical need.
The signers also are calling on Congress to adopt a streamlined process to get relief quickly and easily to child care providers, including both licensed and license-exempt home-based child care providers.
